Pamplemousse
by Zandrellia
Summary: Why is that grapefruit bleeding, InuYasha? AU


Obligatory Disclaimer: I clearly do not own any of the characters within (even those who may or may not be originals), any of the settings, concepts, or other potentially copy-written works within this piece. I am merely a vessel; A messenger who conveys a story, nothing more, nothing less.

* * *

She let out a hiss, bringing her finger up to her mouth as the cut began to bleed. Her expression dark, she held a grapefruit to the cutting board and stared down on it as her thumb bled into it. Giving a shrug of the shoulder, Kagome took up the knife and watched with a smirk as some of the blood drizzled into the half open fruit. Slicing through the citrus with a forceful stroke, she arranged the two slices on a plate before taking it over to place at the head of the dining table. Leaning down, she pulled up her apron and wiped at the bloody fingerprint she had left on the rim of the fine white china, smearing it with the bumpy lace at the end of the baby-blue material before spinning at the sound of motion from the stairs behind her. A wide smile on her face, she placed a hand on her hip as she watched InuYasha attempt to pull himself together for the day.

"Going somewhere?" She queried with a perky tone in her voice.

He froze, swallowing hard and turning to look at her slowly. His amber eyes narrowed as he noticed her standing there, as beautiful as always, the picturesque housewife – save for the bloody smear on the corner of her apron and the large knife still resting in her hand. Taking a deep breath, he smiled in return before going to sit at the table. "Of course not, darling. I wouldn't put all your effort to waste!"

Kagome gave him a knowing look, turning towards the kitchen as her husband sat at the table. He didn't normally talk that way, but he knew he was in trouble. It probably wouldn't have been an issue if he hadn't married someone that his father took such a liking to. His whole family, save his elder brother, was rather tickled at the idea of her becoming his wife. She was practically adopted before the ink was dry on the paperwork. Well, she thought with a sigh, it wasn't her problem that his family was in such a dangerous lifestyle. Or that his father would likely murder him for what he did behind her back. Or that he was an idiot.

"Honey, do we have any sugar?"

She smirked and licked at her lips, and holding onto the sugar bowl before calling over her shoulder. "We're out."

InuYasha sighed and dug into the bitter fruit with his spoon, turning to look as Kagome watched him from within the kitchen. Closing his eyes, he bit the bullet and swallowed it whole, shivering slightly as the tart flavor alerted his taste buds at once. He knew what he did to deserve her torture. He admitted he was wrong, but that it was too late for that. At this point, all he could hope for was amnesty from his father and the family.  
There was a heavy knock at the door, and Kagome pranced over to answer, her pretty white polka-dotted dress bouncing as she did so. "Why Sesshomaru, what a surprise!" She smiled sweetly and offered to take his coat before turning to the kitchen once more. "InuYasha is eating breakfast. Would you care for some grapefruit?"

Sesshomaru did not respond and she did not expect him do, going over to cut into another one of the fruits and returning to the dining room where the elder sibling of her husband now sat across the table from him. She placed the plate before her brother-in-law before heavily setting the sugar bowl in front of him and giving a pointed look to InuYasha before turning to smile back at Sesshomaru. "Tea? Water?"

"That will be all, Kagome." Sesshomaru said, a frown creasing his brow as he reached out to grasp the end of her apron. His eyebrow rose as he looked from the blood to Kagome's grinning face. She raised her hand, showing off her recent battle scar and he gave an understanding nod before returning his look to InuYasha. While Kagome was leaving the area, retreating somewhere towards the back of the home, he liberally applied sugar to the pink fruit before him, assuring to go slowly so that InuYasha would note that he did not have any.

Sesshomaru might not have been excessively fond of the young girl, but he knew her well enough to understand that she would cause InuYasha no amount of distress for his actions. He did not blame her. It was one thing to flirt with another woman for business, quite another to sleep with a business associate. Poor Kagome had learned of her husband's infidelity when she was cleaning his clothing after he returned from the business trip. Moron couldn't even clean out his pockets.

"I'm dead, aren't I?" InuYasha said with a sigh, leaning down in his chair as he stared at the fruit. Did it seem to be bleeding or was it his imagination?

"I wouldn't know the answer to that, InuYasha. I'm merely here to retrieve you." Sesshomaru said, a small smile coming to his face as he took up some of the grapefruit and had a hearty bite. InuYasha let out a small whine but stood and prepared to go face his father's wrath. "Before we depart, our father has requested that Kagome think over something while we are away."

The predictable young woman poked her head from around the corner with a sheepish grin. "Yes, dear brother?"

"Do you want to remain married to InuYasha?"

Everyone stilled. Kagome was sure that her heart had even stopped beating as she considered this. She had options? What would happen to her if she divorced? At her age that could be social suicide! "I…" She started, unable to continue.

Sesshomaru saved her the trouble by explaining further. "Father has a plan to maintain your honor. However, he has said that you do not deserve to be shackled down with…" His eyes glanced over to his younger sibling, an expression of disgust on his face. "…this thing." The elder brother stood, dabbing at his face with a crisp white napkin before placing it on the table. "Think it over."

That was all Kagome was left with as Sesshomaru dragged InuYasha out of the house. She wasn't sure what they were going to do to him, but at this point she wasn't sure it mattered. Turning on her heel she went to retrieve her things. No thinking was required. If InuYasha couldn't stay faithful, he didn't deserve her.

~*FIN*~

* * *

This short piece is the beginning of an ongoing series I have - the rest of which cannot be posted here, but can be found on my Ao3 account. (You can find the link on my profile.) You do not have to read the others to understand this piece, however, they are stand-alone one-shots. :D


End file.
